A few short weeks ago, 300 women persevered along Highway 1 East to Harrison Hot Springs to spend a weekend seeking the Lord, becoming empowered in the Spirit and building relationships. It was an amazing celebration of all that God has done, leading us to anticipate all that He will do.

Happy December, Westside—I can't believe I just wrote that... I was mildly shocked this past week when I saw our lobby at The Centre being decorated for Christmas. It just feels too early. Though, it feels too early every year and I'm always wrong. December is one of the busiest months of the year for most of us and it'll be gone before we know it. That's the problem.

When we are invited to Stand for children in foster care and children who are waiting to be adopted, we are being invited to consider the immense privilege of loving a younger someone who has been “fearfully and wonderfully made” by our Father.

Jodi and I are so thankful for this community and the opportunity to engage with you every week. This season—as Westside walks through some of the spiritual disciplines Jesus lived out in His relationship with the Father—we are realizing that in Christ, we are also offered a restful and joy-filled relationship with the Father Himself. In my personal time with Jesus, I am working through the book of Hebrews and I wanted to encourage you with a few thoughts from there.

To me, being a warrior means living in full submission to God, and doing what it takes to follow his call—like moving across the countryto plant a church.

From living in community with Syrian refugees to engaging with the marginalized, I have learned that loving my neighbour as myself is powerful to transform lives—maybe especially my own.

I hope you've been enjoying this beautiful summer without forest fires and taking in His glory displayed in creation. I wanted to encourage you with words from David in Psalm 138:1-2 for our verse of the month.

What if the best possible outcome for our world is to have individuals born imperfect, weak, dependant, with minds which are uncluttered by pretentious intellect?

When the promised Messiah enters the world, He brings with Him a safety and completeness which pervades every part of human existence. Jesus offers peace which resides within our hearts, and which affects our lives – a peace which protects us from harm and promises good. This is a reality which reaches far beyond the mere outward vision of amicable order. In a world where nearly everyone struggles with inner anxious turmoil, the promise of One who can authoritatively bring peace, is like the growing warmth of a newly lit candle, in a cold and dark room…the promise of safety and wholeness within, imparts wondrous hope.

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Four descriptors to describe Jesus and the way He ushers in a kingdom of peace. But of the four, there is one descriptor that seems rather odd. It is Jesus, the Everlasting Father. Maybe, it is because at Christmas, we think of Jesus as a baby in a manger not a father. Perhaps, we have read the bible and Jesus is rarely described as a father. Or just maybe, some of us have been disappointed by fathers and cannot imagine Jesus to be characterized as such.

Have you ever thought of how it would be to meet the Almighty God of the Bible? I think everyone has some kind of concept about this; even people who question the existence of God imagine it somehow.  One might wonder how it things would be if God really existed. I know this because, in conversations about God, I’ve heard people use arguments like “there is no evidence for God” or “Why God doesn’t just show up?”

You see, “wonderful” is one of those words we’ve lost track of, like “awesome”. “Awesome” means “inspiring an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime”, but we use it to mean “really cool”. Seems like a bit of a waste now, doesn’t it? Like paying for a drip coffee with a hundred dollar bill, it gets the job done, but it’s overkill.

If you’re reading this, chances are that you saw this in your mail or perhaps on a window outside—regardless, thank you for your curiosity about the artwork for our Christmas sermon series this year! Perhaps you’ve never heard about Jesus, or only have a rough idea of his story, and you’re thinking, “What the heck does all this imagery mean?!”—read on